Her Love For Armin
by Imaginary Girl Of Sapphire
Summary: She was only instincts and a mask of emptiness. Meant to live only to live. Nothing else. Born only for survival, and taken in to be molded into a tool. Her fate was sealed, and she saw no escape. Then, she met him and the center of her world changed. Drastically. Quickly. Disturbingly. Love can change, save, and destroy all at once. Will she let it consume her?


**(AN)** For those of you that read the original version of this story, a few things. 1. I changed Anna's name because I named her that before I was really familiar with the names from the show, and afterwards it just kind of bugged me how much her name sounded like Annie. I'm sorry if you liked the other name better, but I tried to name her something that has meaning. 2. I want to make it clear that I'm not changing her personality. She was always meant to be... off. And I'm pretty sure most of you got that already. 3. I did make plot changes, but that's because I wrote this nearly three years ago, and I've changed over that time... I'm sorry if you don't like the change, but I can't write the exact same as I used to. But, she's still the same. Just a little more... hard to reach. The her from the older version is still there, it'll just be harder to get her.

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The man in front of her smiled at her in a way that said he wanted to just help her and be there for her, and she knew to not trust such a smile. Her father always told her to be cautious of kindness with no reason. Especially with the men inside the walls.

"How old are you?"

She blinked at him with her emotionless persona. "Seven."

"And your name?"

'...' "Alea Frost."

"Peter Frost's daughter?"

She wasn't sure why he was asking, the people that forced her here told him everything she had told them. "Yes."

"Well I can certainly see the resemblance. You have your father's eyes."

She only stared at him in reply, with said icy blue eyes.

He didn't look to react to her lack of. He just went on. "I only met your father once before. He was a good member of the Military, and he was certainly something. I'm assuming he taught you about his technique of keeping emotions in tack. Correct?"

...Alea gave him a small nod in reply. It was one of his most important rules.

"I see… You know, he left the walls in such a hurry, and we don't really know why. Do you happen to know?"

'Because he hated the military.' She knew that wasn't wise to say to him. The question was a trick to try seeing how much he told her about the insides of the walls. She hated to lie, but… "He never spoke much about the walls."

She saw something go through those eyes of his, but she couldn't figure out what, and she worried he saw through her lie. His smile remained in tact either way. "It was a shame to suddenly lose him. He was a part of something great here… I never knew him, not really, but I did admire him, he seemed almost like the perfect soldier. I envied him. It's a tragedy to hear that both him and your mother were lost outside the walls. How did that happen?"

...She held in the sorrow and rage to that question, and tried to think over her words carefully. "A titan got to him when he left the house, and my mother was caught in a stampede."

"...That must have been horrible to go through, and for someone as young as you. Children should never have to witness those kinds of things."

'What would you know about horrible things? You spend all your time behind the safety of walls.' She thought bitterly.

"Now, you seemed to have been able to handle yourself surprisingly well out there in the dangerous world. How did you manage?"

"I ran when I was supposed to, and I hid when I was supposed to." 'It was easy if you know how to hide your scent.'

"Impressive. When I was your age I was still scared of the dark."

'Father told me you always have to be afraid. It's a tool for survival.'

"Now, you're not only still a child, but you're also a relative of a man that we've missed here in the Military. It'd only be cruel to just set a you back off into the woods with all the other titans. So, we'd like to take you in."

She knew where this is going.

"Things like that don't exactly come as free, but with a background like yours we might just have a way for you to repay it."

She knew exactly where this was going. This was why her father warned her to never go to the walls.

It was hard to find someone that could look at a titan without flinching. It was hard to find someone that was calm. It was hard to find someone that could live out in the woods for a week with no way to protect themselves other than their instincts. It was hard to find someone that wasn't afraid to die. A child no less.

Kids were easy. Kids could be controlled, and influenced. Kids could be bended and molded into whatever you wanted. And a child with all those other traits was practically a blessing.

Her father warned her to stay away from the walls. That they would try to take her and wrap her around in pretty words to fool her into seeing what they wanted her to see. That they were shadows that always hung close by to watch over their subordinates. He warned her that once you've walked into their home of "salvation" and "protection" you'll be trapped in their chain disguised as ribbons…

However… There was nothing to do here and now. She was not strong enough to fight against them. If she were to deny this offer they'd only force her with aggression and instead make the chains clear so she knows she has no choice. Her father told her to stay away from the walls, but he also told her to be smart.

So, after thinking it over from the moment the men that wore wings picked her up in the woods, she told him. "Whatever I must to repay your kindness."

He smiled, pleased with her answer.

'Smile all you want. Once I find a way to escape, I'll slice away that smile first.'

* * *

 _5 Months_

Alea heard the quiet sound of footsteps walking toward her room. By instinct she quickly grabbed the knife-with a cloth wrapped around the blade-from under her pillow and tucked it in her shorts under her loose nightgown. She stood in front of the door to (verify) welcome the (intruder) visitor.

She played her father's words in her head. " _One of your greatest weapons as a child is that people will not suspect you. Use that to your advantage."_

To which, she carried herself normally and calmly. With an empty expression no one could see through.

The door opened and it revealed a single man. He was blonde with blue eyes, and he had unusual looking eyebrows. She gave him a nod of her head. "Hello."

He quietly looked her over, and then he looked around her room. She couldn't remember ever seeing this man. It was also the first person she saw someone wearing the Survey Corps (wings) insignia since she was dropped off inside the walls. If someone was wearing an insignia it was for the Military. Including the people that have been teaching her hand to hand and knife wielding basics.

With no further information of this man, she tried to figure out what he was doing here, but she couldn't make it out.

Finally, he looked back down at her. "Pack up your things, we'll be leaving tonight."

It took a lot to keep the surprise from coming to her eyes or face. "I was told I'm supposed to stay here."

"Well now you're not. You'll be relocated to be protected and watched by the Survey Corps."

'What is this man talking about?' "I-."

"Erwin!"

She turned her head as she saw the man she met the day she first showed up-she never bothered remembering his name-run up to his side. He glared up at the Survey man with anger rising up. "What's all this about you taking Frost? She's under my authority, you can't just snatch her up and take her!"

The Survey man looked at the Military man. "I was given permission. After all, the goal is to train the girl isn't it? It'd only make sense that she'd learn more from the Corps than from the Military."

The Military man looked ready to retort, but also unsure of what to say. Alea would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy seeing him have trouble with his words. "Well I wasn't informed about this. So, you still can't just take her without the word-" He was stopped short when the Survey man pulled out some paperwork from his jacket and handed it to him.

"I have the word right here. Now, if every things in order I have to move Ms. Frost to her new home."

The Military man looked at the paper and back at the Survey man with a look as though he wanted to say something else, but he was so caught he couldn't think of anything.

Finally, the Survey man just gave him a small nod. "Don't worry too much. I wouldn't have asked for permission if I didn't have a plan. I happen to just know someone that could do some good for her."

...The Military man stared at him for a moment, and then he looked at Alea. She only met the gaze with her emotionless icy blue-a few strands of black hair hanging over them. He looked like he wanted to let out something like a sigh, but just turned and walked away. He mumbled something about, "Since when did you ever make plans?"

Once he turned she looked up at the Survey man, and he was already looking at her.

'So now I'm being pass to someone else?' She was slightly relieved because she knew the Survey Corps went outside the walls, so it'd be easier to escape back into the woods. But she was also disappointed because that meant she wouldn't be able to cut the Military man for trying to make her a tool.

She stared at his blue eyes as he looked over her, and finally he just met her gaze. "Once you're ready there's a ride waiting outside the back exit. You can take your time. We're not leaving until the sun's gone."

With that he turned and started walking down the corridor. She just began to close back her door.

But, without stopping his pace, he told her: "You should be careful with that knife of yours, but don't keep it off your person."

...Alea only paused for a second before closing her door all the way.

Once the door was closed she stared at the wood, and she let her mask slip as shock took over her face. She looked down at herself and saw no signs of the knife. She was always careful in making it look like nothing was there. No one had ever spotted it when she hid it… If he couldn't see the knife, that meant he was able to tell by looking at her. It was _her_ that gave it away…

She quickly ran to her dresser and picked up a mirror and held it to the light of the candle. Staring back at her pale reflection she quickly forced her expression from full to empty. It was easy, it was second nature.

She stared into her icy blue eyes of nothing… 'What did he see?'

Pressing her lips together, she let the mask once again fall to show her distressful look.

His words were simple, but they meant everything to her because she didn't know him.

Stay away from the walls. Run when you need to. Hide when you need to. Know that we will all die. Stay calm but don't lose your fear. Those were all rules implanted by her father, and all were important to her, but none more important than rule number one.

" _Don't show emotions to someone unless you're prepared to be hurt by them."_

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 **(AN)** Please Review


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